MARTINEZ INDIFFERENT TO CUP LOSS

Posted on January 16, 2012 in WAFC

Roberto Martinez, the Spanish manager of English Premier League club Wigan Athletic is not worried about his side’s exit from the FA Cup, the most prestigious and oldest Cup competition in the world, at the hands of lowly Swindon Town.

Speaking to the press after his side’s defeat to Paulo di Canio and his men at the County Ground, Martinez reiterated that Cup competitions have upsets like this where the heavyweights like Barcelona and Manchester United do lose at lower League sides, which adds to the flavour of the competition. He believes that this is what adds to the ‘romance’ of the FA Cup.

He further went on to add that his prime target is survival in the English Premier League which his side only managed to achieve on the last day of last season with a 1-0 away win at the Britannia Stadium against Stoke City.

Martinez stated that to a club like Wigan Athletic, surviving to fight another season in the English Premier League is like winning the FA Cup and the day of the Cup final is the day that they reach the magic points’ barrier of 40 in the League. Wigan have struggled in recent weeks, with their in-play Premier League betting odds dropping as each match progresses, especially if they concede early.

However, Martinez did not want to underestimate the value of the FA Cup and added that it was a fantastic competition and also congratulated Paulo di Canio and Swindon Town for their victory.

Wigan have not been having the best of seasons this time around and although they are playing very good and open football, they are still languishing in the bottom three, several points away from safety. Martinez believes that now Wigan Athletic has been knocked out of both Cup competitions, they can concentrate fully on surviving to fight another season.